The first story of Gravity Falls Rule 63.
It seems like an average summer day in a small town called Gravity Falls, Oregon. Cookouts are held, children are playing, everybody is having fun. That is, except for the two kids in a golf cart being chased by a giant monster. "My name is Dana. The guy about to puke is my brother Marcus."
We then go to a flashback that takes over most of the story. It turns out that the two are over at Gravity Falls for the summer. Marcus looks at it as a positive experience, while Dana gets comfortable after discovering she could sketch some pictures of the scenery. Their great-aunt Silvia's house is a jewelery shop. She tries to pick a member of her workforce to put some signs up in the forest. Salls and William refuse, so Dana is chosen. She comes across a fake tree, which controls a passage which leads to a journal containing the secrets of Gravity Falls, and the monsters that lie underneath the small town, such as Ghosts or Gnomes.
Meanwhile, Marcus is trying to get his big summer romance. He then meets a girl, Nora, that has suspicious features, including gray skin and bleeding. Marcus is head over heels, but Dana is suspicious, especially as she reads the book. She comes to the conclusion that Nora is a ZOMBIE. So, she gets William to toss her the keys to the cart ("Try not to hit any pedestrians."), and Salls gives her a bat (in case she runs into a pinata).
However, Nora outs herself...as a bunch of gnomes. Marcus decides to break off the relationship... only for the gnomes to kidnap him to make him their king. Dana is able to arrive as they tie Marcus up, rescues Marcus and the two flee. The gnomes turn into a Super Gnome, bringing this story full circle. Marcus and Dana are forced to knock out all of the gnomes as they attack. However, the journal shows no permanent weakness for the Gnomes. They arrive at the Surprise Hut, and Marcus pulls a Batman Gambit: surrendering to the gnomes, and then attacking them with a nearby leaf blower. As they go in, Silvia gives them each a gift as a way of welcoming them to their summer home. Dana gets a blue and white pine tree hat, although she isn't sure about it until she notices it goes with her look, and Marcus gets a grappling hook.
Tropes present in this episode:
- Amazon Chaser: Marcus, as a young teen, was expecting Nora to be a "gamma girl" after Dana suggested there's something fishy about her. Later, when Nora said she wanted to confess something, Marcus crossed his fingers in hopes she really was a "gamma girl".
- And Now You Must Marry Me: The gnomes kidnap Marcus and try to force him into marry Jill so that he can become their new king.
- And This Is for...: "Lying to me, breaking my heart, and messing with my sister!"
- Batman Gambit: Done by Marcus of all people!
- Big Damn Heroes: Dana immediately comes to Marcus' rescue after he's been kidnapped by gnomes.
- Big, Stupid Doodoo-Head: Marcus calls the gnomes butt faces.
- Grappling-Hook Pistol: Marcus gets one at the end of the episode as a gift from Silvia.
- Gulliver Tie-Down: Marcus is victim to this, courtesy of the Gnomes.
- How We Got Here: The story opens like this.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: Marcus defeating the Gnomes with a nearby leaf blower.
- Shovel Strike: Salls gives Dana a shovel to use to save Marcus.
- The Un-Hug: Dana and Marcus' "awkward sibling hug."
